Pushups give you a convenient, effective way to improve your upper body strength. The wide variety of pushup types possible provides options for focusing on different upper body muscle groups. While other exercises are more efficient at widening the shoulder muscles, pushups can help broaden your shoulders somewhat. Using proper form and varying your workout routine helps you avoid strength imbalances and injury.
Shoulder Muscles
The deltoid muscles comprise the rounded, outside part of your shoulder. These muscles consist of the anterior, or front; medial, or middle; and posterior, or rear, deltoids. The trapezius muscles form the back and top part of your shoulders near your neck. The trapezius muscles run from your neck to the middle of your back. Because changing your bone structure isn't possible, you need to build these shoulder muscles to get wider shoulders.
Pushups For Shoulder Development
Standard pushups primarily work your anterior and medial deltoids, as well as the triceps in the backs of your arms and the pectoralis muscles in your chest. They work the posterior deltoids to a lesser extent. Doing pushups with your hands placed closer together gives your shoulders a better workout. To work your anterior deltoids harder, try handstand pushups. For a better posterior deltoids workout, try pushups with reaching. To do this exercise, perform a standard pushup. Then, at the highest point, when your arms are straight, twist your torso and reach up with your right arm. Repeat this reach on the left side.
Additional Exercises
Adding other exercises to your routine helps further develop your shoulder muscles. Perform shrugs with a barbell, dumbbells or a machine. To do this exercise, hold the weights in your hands and shrug your shoulders as high as possible. Lateral raises work the shoulders, too. For this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your arms out to the sides. Overhead lifts also strengthen and build your shoulders.
Developing a Routine
To gain benefits from pushups or other strength-training exercises, you'll need to perform the exercises at least two days a week. On these days, try to complete at least one set of pushups. A set consists of eight to 12 repetitions. Completing two or more sets provides even greater benefits. Traditional fitness advice suggests letting your muscles rest 48 hours before working them again. If you're in good health and under 30, though, you can safely do pushups every day for up to 10 days, notes strength and conditioning specialist Stew Smith.
References
- Folsum Lake College: Major Muscle Groups
- American Council on Exercise: Push-up
- Military.com: The Push-up Push Workout
- Staley Training Systems: Handstand Push-Ups - The Best Shoulder Exercise You Can Do
- "Men's Fitness"; 10-Minute Muscle: Push-ups are Like Sex. To Get The Most Out of Them, Try Multiple Positions and Techniques; November 2003
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Mueller Center: Working Your Shoulders
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